There are lots of suburban streets scattered across Sydney that are short and steep. Parts of South Turramurra, Wahroonga and Beecroft (Malton Rd) many of which are deadends down into valleys are notoriously steep. Certainly around the 20% level. Another place with super steep hills is the western side Bilgola Plateau. The ride up from Prince Alfred Pde to Lower Plateau Rd (I think it's Loombah St?) is around 20%.

I'm not convinced a Garmin gives an accurate reading on steep climbs - the combination of slow speeds, hilly terrain and tree cover seems to play havoc with the readings. Certainly when it comes to spot readings versus average gradients over a longer stretch.

It's been mentioned before in this thread, but Pretoria Pde Hornsby averages 21% for 350 m, climbing 74 m vertical in that distance. That's approximately equal in vertical gain to riding halfway out of Bobbin Head.

Last edited by rogan on Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

HillBilly wrote:Another place with super steep hills is the western side Bilgola Plateau.

Hansford Pde, Bilgola. Definitely > 20% going by how I felt climbing it compared to other ~20% ish climbs e.g. parts of Bumble Hill and Dog Trap rd. Was desperation grinding in both 30/26 (the first time) and 39/29 (the second time). Short though, and at least I didn't get off and push .

HillBilly wrote:I'm not convinced a Garmin gives an accurate reading on steep climbs

rogan wrote:It's been mentioned before in this thread, but Pretoria Pde Hornsby averages 21% for 350 m, climbing 74 m vertical in that distance. That's approximately equal in vertical gain to riding halfway out of Bobbin Head.

Used to ride all the way from Valley Rd up Pretoria Pde to Pac Hwy on a BMX, having come down the Firetrail from Quarter Sessions Rd in Westleigh!

I tried Ryedale Rd on the weekend and I was spent by the time I got 1/3 of the way up past Sixth Ave (having come from Meadowbank wharf). Stopped for 5 mins and continued to only just give up before getting to Fifth Ave and stopping in a heap for 15mins to recover. How does anyone get better to climb that hill apart from a cup of 60MPa concrete?

I tried Ryedale Rd on the weekend and I was spent by the time I got 1/3 of the way up past Sixth Ave (having come from Meadowbank wharf). Stopped for 5 mins and continued to only just give up before getting to Fifth Ave and stopping in a heap for 15mins to recover. How does anyone get better to climb that hill apart from a cup of 60MPa concrete?

haha i did this in my single speed. It took many fail attempts to just get up to sixth.Now if i want to go up, i turn left at sixth and make my way the long way around, where the gradient is less. Haven't done it in while and now i started riding road bikes. I don't think i can do it anymore!

I tried Ryedale Rd on the weekend and I was spent by the time I got 1/3 of the way up past Sixth Ave (having come from Meadowbank wharf). Stopped for 5 mins and continued to only just give up before getting to Fifth Ave and stopping in a heap for 15mins to recover. How does anyone get better to climb that hill apart from a cup of 60MPa concrete?

Hehehe, they cheat and use the Shared path around to the train station

Got lost near Bayview today and went down a one-way road called Kennedy place, there was a wall right at the end that must have been near 20% (garmin said 18.4 I think). I was in the 34/29 combo and standing on the pedals and could barely make it up, definitely the steepest hill I've ever been on but only for about 20m).

Anyone mentioned Edgar St and the other road parallel to it, Jenkins St (just that 1 lane bit) in Chatswood? I'd struggle to crawl up those hills and if it's raining, I have no idea how cars can get up that road without a run up.

SmellyTofu wrote:Anyone mentioned Edgar St and the other road parallel to it, Jenkins St (just that 1 lane bit) in Chatswood? I'd struggle to crawl up those hills and if it's raining, I have no idea how cars can get up that road without a run up.

Tried Edgar St the last couple of mornings. Put it on Strava, it claims a 9% grade. The earlier Fullers Pain, going from the intersection of Lady Game Dr and Delhi Rd up towards Chatswood is claimed to be 13%, and definitely tougher overall, as it's a fair bit longer. Yesterday I took it easy through the national park and got up Fullers and Edgar OK, today I went quicker through the park, and both were tough climbs. I still think Fullers is quite a bit tougher though.

Getting up to Earlwood (sth of Marrickville& Cooks River cycleway) can be fun, but there are few ways in.

Being a 'returned cyclist' after 25yrs out of the saddle, the easiest route I've found is up Wardell Rd from Dulwich Hill, I've progressed to coming up Bass St (short and reasonably steep) and then onto Wardell.

I have come in via Wolli Ave twice and that was fun, if short.

I'd like to tackle coming in via either Thompson St (off Permanent Ave) or Burlington Ave, again short and steep.

The challenging entries (for me at least) will be either coming in via Bayview Ave from Tempe (near the Canterbury/Tempe Velodrome) or up Homer Street from Marrickville, both around 400m long, not too sure of the rise.

I tried Ryedale Rd on the weekend and I was spent by the time I got 1/3 of the way up past Sixth Ave (having come from Meadowbank wharf). Stopped for 5 mins and continued to only just give up before getting to Fifth Ave and stopping in a heap for 15mins to recover. How does anyone get better to climb that hill apart from a cup of 60MPa concrete?

ive climbed ryedale a few times in the last month. i can go through an entire ride without my heart rate going above 150, including climbs like bobbin head and fullers rd in chatswood. but without fail ryedale pushes my HR well above 170! standing up and pushing as hard as i can is the only way i have managed to make it to the top...though i still managed to maintain an average of 11km/h on the steep part!

I tried Ryedale Rd on the weekend and I was spent by the time I got 1/3 of the way up past Sixth Ave (having come from Meadowbank wharf). Stopped for 5 mins and continued to only just give up before getting to Fifth Ave and stopping in a heap for 15mins to recover. How does anyone get better to climb that hill apart from a cup of 60MPa concrete?

ive climbed ryedale a few times in the last month. i can go through an entire ride without my heart rate going above 150, including climbs like bobbin head and fullers rd in chatswood. but without fail ryedale pushes my HR well above 170! standing up and pushing as hard as i can is the only way i have managed to make it to the top...though i still managed to maintain an average of 11km/h on the steep part!

Tried Ryedale today, tough climb, but its downhill before, so you can attack it nice and fresh. Even did Melville after.

I was beat by a hill last week though. Linden Way Castlecrag. Similar to Fullers, winds around and just keeps going. I thought I had it then I just lost momentum and quit 3/4 up.

I tried Ryedale Rd on the weekend and I was spent by the time I got 1/3 of the way up past Sixth Ave (having come from Meadowbank wharf). Stopped for 5 mins and continued to only just give up before getting to Fifth Ave and stopping in a heap for 15mins to recover. How does anyone get better to climb that hill apart from a cup of 60MPa concrete?

ive climbed ryedale a few times in the last month. i can go through an entire ride without my heart rate going above 150, including climbs like bobbin head and fullers rd in chatswood. but without fail ryedale pushes my HR well above 170! standing up and pushing as hard as i can is the only way i have managed to make it to the top...though i still managed to maintain an average of 11km/h on the steep part!

Tried Ryedale today, tough climb, but its downhill before, so you can attack it nice and fresh. Even did Melville after.

I was beat by a hill last week though. Linden Way Castlecrag. Similar to Fullers, winds around and just keeps going. I thought I had it then I just lost momentum and quit 3/4 up.

i will have to check out linden way, looks brutal. funny you mentioned both ryedale and fullers, as i rode both this morning! feeling a little tired now though

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